Steven Universe: Uneasy Frenemies
by Feraligreater328
Summary: Facing down a threat that the Gems and he couldn't stop, Steven is forced to summon former foes in order to help him take down the newest threat from the Homeworld. Will he survive, or will these Uneasy Frenemies just make things worse? (Updates might be a bit sporadic...)
1. Chapter 1: Unbubbled

**Steven Universe: Uneasy Frenemies**

 **Chapter 1: Unbubbled**

Steven sat in the dark recesses of his destroyed house. The young Half-Gem was absolutely terrified of his current situation. His breath hitched as he heard it stomp by, its metallic feet leaving imprints in the Beach City sand.

If there was anything to be relieved about, it was that all of the townies had escaped. Mayor Dewey collapsed under pressure, but the Cool Kids and Sadie did a great job of evacuating everyone to the next town over.

Steven trembled as he began to cry. His tears ran down his cheeks and pittered onto Connie's unconscious face, running down her forehead and falling onto the pile of cracked Gems in Steven's lap. Steven shook his head as he caressed each damaged stone. "Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis, Peridot..."

Steven shuddered as he heard the horrifying thing screech. "What do I do?" 

_Hours earlier..._

Steven joyfully ran out into the freshly fallen snow. The pure white banks contrasted greatly against the clear blue sky in the background. It was as pretty as a picture. And, best of all, Steven wasn't the only one enjoying it.

Peridot and Connie quickly joined him in frolicking in the fresh powder. Connie grinned and quickly rolled a snowball, tossing in and nailing Peridot in the head. Peridot clenched her teeth. "I'll make you regret that, YOU CLOD!"

Peridot tried her best to pack a snowball and toss it back, only managing to fling a messy handful of snow as the human girl. Connie dodged and laughed. Peridot turned to Lapis and whined. "Lapis! This is frozen water! I believe that this is your department?!"

Lapis shrugged. "I'm not involved in this..."

Suddenly, a snowball collided with Lapis' face. The frozen orb slid down the blank, blue slate that it had collided with and Steven snickered. "You are now Lapis!"

Lapis shrugged and rolled her eyes. And then, with a flick of her wrist, several cannons formed of ice rose from the ground and began to shoot rapid-fire snowballs at the unsuspecting children. Lapis cracked a happy smile as the children fled her onslaught. And, soon, she began to laugh.

Peridot jumped up and cheered. "Way to go Lapis!"

And then another snowball hit her in the head. The tiny, green Gem turned and grumbled at Garnet, Pearl, and, "Amethyst..."

Amethyst innocently whistled and then stuck out her tongue. "Sorry Peri!"

Peridot huffed and growled in rage. "RAAAAARGH! I'll get you for this!"

Peridot hefted up a huge armful of snow and ran at Amethyst. Amethyst giggled and shapeshifted into an owl, flying away and cooing taunts at Peridot. "Catch me if ya can shorty!"

Garnet and Pearl both smiled at one another. Content on letting the "children" play, the two of them strode forth to the subject of their trip. Three nights previous, it was reported on the news that a giant, icy meteorite had fallen somewhere in the icy expanse of Antartica.

Looking at pictures of the meteorite that human scientists had taken, Garnet and Pearl knew that something was off. They knew that they needed to checkon whatever this thing was.

And so, here they were. While the others enjoyed playing with each other in the snow, Garnet and Pearl nodded at one another. Garnet sighed and looked back at the icy rock. "Let's do it!"

Garnet and Pearl turned to one another. And then, after a quick dance, the two separate Gems quickly fused together into the lovely Sardonyx. Sardonyx flashed the icy meteor a toothy grin. Even in his momentous, fused form, they were still dwarfed by the thing. Sardonyx pulled out her War Hammer and torqued her lower body backwards. "And now, for my next trick, I make this icy rock disappear!"

The showy Fusion swung her Hammer into the icy rock and smiled wide as it shattered apart. Once the dust had cleared and Sardonyx had defused, the other Gems came running up to the wreckage. Steven was nervously excited. "So...what is it?"

Garnet and Pearl stared up at the large hunk of metal that was sealed in the ice. They felt a sense of uneasy dread. They knew they vaguely remembered this thing from somewhere. Lapis, Amethyst, and Connie all stared at it, a mixture of confusion and wonder filling their eyes. However, Peridot stared in horror. She stuttered and tried to form the words to speak. Everyone else turned to her, staring with concern. Lapis nervously stepped up to her friend. "Peridot...?"

Finally, in a tiny voice, Peridot managed to speak. "Oh...my...Diamond...it's...it's a Sh-"

Peridot was quickly interrupted, to everyone's horror, by a chisel flying from the broken meteorite and impaling her right in the Gem. Peridot's pupils shrunk and she let loose one last gasp before poofing. The others turned in the direction of the machine and, immediately, Pearl and Garnet gasped in horror.

Steven knelt down and picked up Peridot's Gem, clenching it in his hands. "Don't worry, I'll fix you!"

Steven stuck out his tongue, ready to lick Peridot's Gem back to its pristine state, only to be snatched from the ground by Garnet. She and the rest of the Gems backed up in horror as the newly awakened construct stomped forth from its former prison. Steven kicked in Garnet's grip and cried out. "What's going on?! Garnet?! Pearl?!"

Finally, Garnet spoke up. "SHATTER MACHINE!" 

_Back in the Present..._

Steven curled into the fetal postion, Connie and his Gem family all curled up with him. He had no idea what he was going to do. He was out of allies, he was injured, and he was terrified. This wasn't a Gem monster, this wasn't a Homeworld Gem, this was a thoughtless killing machine.

And, after a moment, it found him. Steven stared up in horror as the Shatter Machine hefted a piece of rock, cracked from the side of the Gem's bluff, and glared down at him. Steven stared up at it pleadingly and begged. "Please! Please don't do this! Can't we just talk?! Please!"

The Shatter Machine didn't respond. It coldly hefted the piece of rock higher into the air, and then it loosened it's grip. Not having any energy left to form his Safety Bubble or his Shield, Steven meekly held up his hands for defense and screamed.

 **CRUNCH!**

Steven opened his eyes slowly. He was expecting to be dead, he and his friends crushed and shattered by a machine that couldn't be stopped. Steven opened his eyes and, looking up, the young Half-Gem gasped in shock. Holding up the piece of the mountain, and glaring as if they were about to rip one another to shreds, Bismuth and a half-mutated, visibly convulsing Jasper stood.

The two, powerfully built, Gems, whom Steven had apparently summoned and unbubbled, easily shouldered the giant piece of rubble and prepared to strike at one another.

" _Homeworld Upper-Crust..._ "

" _ **Crystal Gem!**_ "


	2. Chapter 2: Core Memory Update

**Steven Universe: Uneasy Frenemies**

 **Chapter 2: Core Memory Update**

Steven laid on the ground, staring in shock as two Gems, both of which had made prior attempts on his life and both of which he had helped to bubble, glared at one another. Bismuth's face a frozen into a furious sneer. Jasper's face was contorted into a mask of rage and pain. The brutish Homeworld Gem's bright orange skin roiled, the teal patches of her corruption spreading and receding back and forth across her body.

Jasper roared at Bismuth, adjusting the rubble perched on her shoulders. "I should shatter you! Crystal Gem scum! You're one of Rose Quartz' most infamous allies!"

Bismuth threw her hands up, jamming her fingers into the rock weighing down her back. "I don't have anything to do with Rose Quartz! Not anymore! She's gone! But, don't think I'm not willing to do what she wouldn't..."

Bismuth reared back her fist, forming it into a chisel and squaring up to strike Jasper square in the face. Quickly, Steven stood and got into between the two aggressive Gems. "Guys! Please! We have to stop fighting! There are bigger problems right now than your personal problems with one another!"

Both Gems glared down at the younger Gem Hybrid. Jasper snarled at him, her corruption get worse with rage. "YOU!"

Bismuth managed to maintain a bit more composure. "Rose's son..."

Steven stared up at both Gems, his eyes pleading with them. Bismuth sighed and nodded. "What's going on? Where are the others?"

Steven sadly glanced back at Connie, quietly reaching over to her and picking up the pile of cracked Gems that he had left lying next to her. He scooped them up and displayed them to Jasper and Bismuth. Bismuth gasped, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "Ruby! Sapphire! Pearl! And...that little purple one..."

And, to Steven's surprise, the rage breifly left Jasper's face. "That's that Peridot and...Lapis?!"

Steven sadly clutched the cracked Gems close to his chest. "I need to hurry and fix them. But...I can't. That thing has been chasing us ever since it woke up. I've been trying but..."

As Steven began to sob, Bismuth interrupted him. "What thing?!"

The blacksmiths question was near immediately answered by the rubble resting on her shoulders being smashed into pieces. Bismuth and Jasper quickly moved out of the way of their assailants strikes. Grabbing Connie's unconscious form, Steven quickly followed suit.

He, Bismuth, and Jasper all stared up in shock as the machine let loose a horrific shriek. It stalked up to them, it's crushing claws clamping, it's crab-like legs squeaky as it lurched forward, it's visual components glowed bright pink, illuminating the ruins of Steven's house in a rose tint, and it's cannons standing erect, ready to fire more chisels and other breaking instruments at its prey.

Steven held his injured friends close, entirely willing to throw himself between them and the mechanical beast. Jasper took a deep breath and sighed it out as her corruption receded further. Bismuth visibly shuddered. "A shatter machine...I thought we destroyed all of the Pink Diamond Shatter Machines. As a matter of fact, I remember sealing the last of them in magma and using the Quartizine Trio to fire them all into space..."

Steven's eyes hit the floor. "About that..."

Bismuth shook her head. "The one time I wish that you were Rose. At least she would've known not to let this monster loose..."

Bismuth stepped forward, her hands forming into two giant hammers. "I'll see what I can do by myself. You try to heal the others and we'll break this thing together."

However, as Bismuth prepared to fight, she was met by truly sinister laughter. The large, gray-skinned Gem turned to the Jasper that she was so prepared to come to blows with moments ago. Steven did as well, nervously question the gleefully giggling Gem. "Jasper...?"

Jasper's eyes shot daggers at Bismuth and Steven, her fist gripping so hard the her knuckles cracked. "That is property of Pink Diamond. Property of PINK DIAMOND! MY DIAMOND! THAT THING REMEMBERS MY DIAMOND! AND YOU THINK THAT I'M GOING TO ALLOW TO TO DESTROY IT...?!"

Bismuth turned her glare back to Jasper, gritting her teeth as the corruption quickly spread over Jasper's body once more. Bismuth sighed and prepared herself for the handicapped fight she was about to be forced to fight. "Steven...fix them...I'll hold these two off..."

Jasper, now in a semi-feral state roared out. "I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY PROOF OF MY DIAMONDS EXISTENCE!"

Jasper charged, full-force into Bismuth, expecting to tackle the Crystal Gem into the ground. However, the Homeworld brute was shocked when not only did Bismuth not budge, but rather she hefted the heavily corrupted Jasper up into the air and tossed her into the Shatter Machine, crumpling Jasper and the relentless weapon to the ground.

Having a moment to himself, Steven quickly got to work. He quickly stuck his tongue out and began licking each individual crack on each of his friends Gems and smiling in relief as the schisms quickly closed up.

Steven sighed and turned to Connie, frowning at the sight of his unconscious friend and her broken hand. Gently, Steven grasped her hand and placed a gentle kiss onto it, pulling Connie into a hug as her hand slowly recovered.

Meanwhile, Bismuth went about her work manhandling both the terrible weapon of the Diamonds and the raging Shatter Machine. She planted her fist aside Jasper's face and then, with a spin, stabbed her chisel hand into one of the Shatter Machine's eyes. The machine staggered back, confused and trying to process the situation.

And then, once they were alone, Bismuth was able to focus all of her attention of Jasper. The blacksmith Gem battered Jasper around with her hammers, smirking with pride as the overconfident Quartz became more and more enraged. Bismuth chuckled. "I don't know what's wrong with you upper crust...but you're getting uglier!"

Jasper screamed into Bismuth's face, one of her eyes quickly forming into pointed horn. "I DON'T CARE! THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS MY DIAMOND! THAT SHATTER MACHINE REMEMBERS MY DIAMOND! THE OTHER DIAMONDS HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE TO GET TO IT YET! YOU! WILL! NOT! DESTROY IT!"

Bismuth seized Jasper by the throat, hoisting the so-called "Perfect Quartz" into the air and sneering in her face. "Yes we will! I hate Rose for not being willing to go far enough to stop you Homeworld Upper-Crusts, but I won't let you destroy the planet that my friends gave their lives to protect!"

Bismuth heaved Jasper into the recovering Shatter Machine and gritted her teeth. "Now! Take a time out while we prepare ourselves to deal with you!"

Bismuth reared back and formed her right hand into an absolutely massive hammer. And then, with a massive swing, the stout Gem batted her foes all the way across the beach and into the broken ruins of Beach City.

Bismuth sighed, taking a moment to enjoy her work. But then, seeing a flash of light out the corner of her eye, she turned around to see the Crystal Gems and a very familiar looking Lapis Lazuli.

Lapis stared, wide-eyed, at the Bismuth standing before her. "You...!"

Bismuth pursed her lips. "I...take it we've met before...?"

However, the blacksmith Gems question went unanswered as two fists immediately drove across her face. A fist made of water on the left cheek, and a familiar gauntlet on the right.

 _In the ruins of Beach City..._

Jasper groaned as she sat up. She wanted to shatter that uppity Bismuth, but she had more important things to handle at the moment. Her corruption steadily spreading, Jasper limped her way up to the still functioning form of the Shatter Machine. "Now then...Pink Diamond! Please! Share with me everything you know about Pink Diamond!"

The Shatter Machine remained silent. Jasper gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I AM AN OFFICER OF THE DIAMOND AUTHORITY AND I HAVE DEMANDED INFORMATION FROM YOU! NOW ANSWER ME!"

The Shatter Machine's pink eyes flickered off, and then, almost immediately, they flickered back on, glowing bright white. " **UPDATE COMPLETE.** "

Jasper cracked a smile. "Good! Now...now that your update is complete...tell me everything you know about Pink Diamond...tell me NOW!"

The Shatter Machine responded. " **Processing...processing...processing...NO INFORMATION FOUND.** "

Jasper's smile fell, her fists declenching and her pupils shrinking. "What...?!"

The Shatter Machine repeated itself. " **THERE EXISTS NO INFORMATION ON ANY PINK DIAMOND WITHIN THE DIAMOND AUTHORITY.** "


	3. Chapter 3: Shattered

**Steven Universe: Uneasy Frenemies**

 **Chapter 3: Shattered**

Bismuth groaned as she sat up, she was expecting one fist, but two was honestly a shock. Especially when she realized who threw the second punch. Sadly, Bismuth glanced up at the furious form of Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl both struggling to hold her back.

Bismuth sighed. "So...I take it you're mad at me, huh?"

Garnet roared back at Bismuth. "YOU TRIED TO KILL STEVEN!"

Bismuth groaned and looked down in shame. As the other two members of the Crystal Gems held their leader back, Bismuth turned to Lapis. "Are you not going to try and smash me? You seem like you'd have been powerful enough to had I not caught you by surprise..."

Lapis shrugged. "Eh. I'm already over it. Hitting you was good enough payback. Now we have to focus on that Shatter Machine. Much like you, it won't catch me off guard again..."

Peridot cheered. "Yeah! It won't catch us off guard again!"

Suddenly, to the surprise of everyone present, a large mass crashed into the ground, making a huge crater beneath their feet, causing cracks in the Earth to spread all the way down the beach.

Peridot jumped and scurried behind Lapis, peeking out from behind her friends leg. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

Taking a moment from snarling at Bismuth, Garnet turned to hole and groaned. "It's Jasper..."

The other Gems all gather around the crater and stared in horror at Jasper's mutated, corrupted, semi-conscious form. All of them grimaced at the sight of her shaking, convulsing body as it quivered in it's spot on the ground.

Bismuth, despite the awkwardness between her and the other Gems, spoke. "This Homeworld Gem said that she wanted to save the Shatter Machine. I can only assume she wanted to team up with it. Guess it didn't share the same feeling..."

Hearing the steady stomping of the Shatter Machine quickly approaching behind them, Garnet sighed and turned to Bismuth. "I'm still furious with you..."

Garnet yanked off her shades. "...and so are Ruby and Sapphire. All three of us are furious...but we could use your help. So, would you help us take down this one last Shatter Machine."

Bismuth nodded. "Yeah. No matter what, those things don't need to exist. Everyone of them we destroy is better for Gem kind as a whole. So, let's do it..."

With that, Garnet turned to the other Gems. "Pearl, Amethyst! We're going to take this thing out quickly! Let's form Alexandrite!"

Pearl and Amethyst nodded and gathered around Garnet. Garnet turned to Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot. "You three will be in charge of distracting the Shatter Machine, restraining it, and tearing off it's armor. You think you can handle that?"

In response, Bismuth transformed her hands into hammers, Lapis gather a massive jet of water into a giant fist, and Peridot used her ferrokinesis to pick up a sheet of metal from Steven's shattered roof. The short, Green Gem smiled. "We can handle it! LET'S GO!"

Peridot, full of vigor, ran directly at the Shatter Machine. "FACE YOUR DOOM YOU FILTHY WAR MACHINE!"

Bismuth sighed. "Does she think she's our leader?"

Lapis shrugged, hefted her water fist over her shoulder, and took flight towards the Shatter Machine.

With the three advance fighters having left, Garnet nodded to Pearl and Amethyst and, after a quick dance, the three of them formed Alexandrite. But, as the colossal fusion began to trod off, she was stopped by Steven grabbing onto her ankle.

Putting on a light smile, Alexandrite reached down to the young half-Gem. "Yes, Steven?"

Steven frowned, staring up pleadingly at Alexandrite. "What about me?! Can't I help in some way?!"

Alexandrite nodded. "Yes Steven. You can. While we take care of the Shatter Machine, you can protect Connie. Okay?"

Steven looked back at his unconscious companion. "Is that all? I don't just want to sit here while you fight that monster..."

Alexandrite stroked her chin. "Well...if you really do wish to help...I have one other thing for you to do..."

Steven's face lightened up a little. "Yes?!"

Alexandrite pointed to the crater behind him. "Take your Mother's sword...and poof Jasper."

Steven's eyes widened in terror. "What...?"

Alexandrite shook her head. "I hate to ask you to do this...but Jasper is weak at the moment. If would be very helpful if you would please poof and bubble her. And, while you do this..."

Alexandrite turned around and glared at the Shatter Machine. "...the rest of us will handle that."

As the rest of the Gems went to fight the mechanical terror that had razed Beach City, Steven turned and sadly sighed at what he would have to do. Shakily taking up Rose Quartz' sword, he carefully made his way to the bottom of Jasper's crater. Lifting Rose's Sword high into the air, Steven winced and shuddered. He didn't want to do this.

He looked down at Jasper's form, staring in horror as her body convulsed with the corruption. As it shuddered as her form reset itself over and over again. And as if shook with...

Steven let loose a silent gasp. And then, after a moment, he meekly lowered his sword. He had realized the ugly truth of the situation, and his little human heart ached as he slowly came to terms with what he was seeing. Jasper wasn't shaking because the corruption was changing her form...she was crying.

Throwing Rose's Sword to the ground, Steven carefully and silently inched his way towards Jasper, stopping just short of her and sitting in front of her, placing an understanding hand on her shoulder as she wept.

 _Meanwhile, fighting the Shatter Machine..._

Lapis, Bismuth, and Peridot eagerly did their jobs as they faced down the Shatter Machine. In the time before, it had the element of surprise on them. Lapis was unaware of what a Shatter Machine was, Peridot was shocked to see it, and Bismuth wasn't present for the initial fight. But now, things were much different.

This Shatter Machine was ancient. It's armor was primitive. It's gears were rusted and decay. It was slow. And it was ripe for the picking of the three angry Gems in front of it.

Lapis was the first to strike. Using her giant water fist, she sent the Shatter Machine staggering back and then, with another freshly formed water fist, she landed a hard punch dead center the machines face, shattering its second to last eye.

Peridot smirked and quickly joined the assault, straining to use her ferrokinesis to pull armor panelling loose. Bismuth smirked and leapt at the Shatter Machine. "Let me help with that!"

Using her hammers, Bismuth smashed the Shatter Machine's chest plating, allowing Peridot to safely float it away from the machines chest. In conjunction, all three of the Gems collective assault soon rendered the Shatter Machine completely bare, leaving nothing but a decayed mechanical skeleton and a pulsating power core.

Smirking at the remains of the machine that had attempted to end them all, Alexandrite formed all three of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl's weapons. Working quickly, she weaved the three weapons together into a Opal's Bow and Sardonyx's hammer. Taking aim at the core, Alexandrite roared and let loose the arrow, firing it at the Shatter Machine and smirking.

However, the Shatter Machine had one last trick up its sleeve. With a burst of steam, the Shatter Machine split in two. Its upper part, along with its core, quickly shot into the air, leaving only its legs behind.

Gasping in shock, Alexandrite quickly defused. Tired out, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl fell to the ground, watching in horror as the Shatter Machine made its getaway.

Pearl shakily stood up. "We need to find a way to stop it...if it makes it back to Homeworld-"

Pearl was curtly interrupted by the sound of crumbling concrete. She and the rest of the Gems turned around to see Lapis. The blue Gem stared up at the sky, one eye closed, tongue stuck out of her mouth, carefully aiming a house held in her watery grasp. And then, with a deep breath, Lapis used all of her strength to shot put the building at the Shatter Machine, scoring a direct hit and knocking it from the sky.

Lapis grinned wide as the Shatter Machine rained from the sky. "Oh yeah! Direct hit!"

Peridot gave her friend a hearty slap on the back. "Way to go Lapis!"

Unfortunately, everyone's smiles quickly fell when they realized, to their horror, where the falling Shatter Machine was going to land: right next to the Temple...and Steven!

Peridot glared at Lapis. "Way to go Lapis..."

Lapis frowned. "How could I have possibly known-"

Garnet quickly interrupted the mounting bickering. "We don't have time to argue! We need to get back to the Temple! NOW!"

 _Back at the Temple..._

Steven silently sat next to the still, apparently, unaware Jasper. Having grabbed Connie, he sat next to the weeping Gem. Steven calmly wiped loose strands of hair from Connie's face as Jasper continued to shudder on the ground. And then, finally, he mustered up the nerve to speak. "You...you don't have to cry. If you'd let me, I might be able to help you with the corruption. I might be able to heal you..."

Jasper instantly popped up from the ground and screamed at Steven, barely holding her composure and keeping a non-monstrous form. "YOU THINK I'M UPSET ABOUT THE CORRUPTION?! WHO CARES ABOUT THIS WORTHLESS CORRUPTION?! IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"

Steven flinched and stared, absolutely terrifed, up at Jasper. "Then what are you crying about?! What's wrong?!"

Jasper screamed at the top of her lungs, running her steadily developing claws across her face. "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG?! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG-"

Jasper's tirade was suddenly interrupted by a gigantic mass falling from the sky, landing right next to her and Steven. She turned and sneered at it, the Shatter Machine, pitifully crawling forth towards them both.

Jasper's skin was boiling, spikes growing out from her form and covering her body. "You aksed what's wrong with me...THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!"

Jasper charged at the ruined remains of the barely functioning Shatter Machine, rending off both of its arms and screaming to the sky. "WHY?! WHY DOES EVERYTHING AROUND ME CHOSE TO NOT REMEMBER HER?! WHY?!"

Steven meekly squeeked out a question. "Remember who...?"

Jasper buried her claws in her steadily corrupting face. "PINK DIAMOND! SHE WAS MY DIAMOND! YOUR DIAMOND! THE EARTH'S DIAMOND! AND YET, NO ONE BOTHERS TO REMEMBER HER! ROSE QUARTZ KILLED HER AND NOW..."

Steven stood up, his eyes filling with tears. "Now what?"

Jasper fell to her knees, now reduced to nothing but sobbing. "...now no one remembers her. It's like she never existed...they changed the Diamond Authority symbol, they scrubbed all mentions of her from the records..."

Jasper reached up to her Yellow Diamond emblem and tore it from her uniform. "...they forced us under the command of the other Diamonds. It was either that or be shattered..."

Steven swallowed a lump in his throat. As Jasper collapsed to the ground, he stepped forward, only to be stopped by the arrival of the other Gems. As Jasper openly wept on the ground, the other Gems approached, each of them looking uncomfortable and sad for the pitiful Quartz that lied before them. Jasper cried out, attempting to push herself up. "I just want my Diamond back..."

Steven looked up at Pearl, seeing a sad understanding in the Gems eyes. And then, looking around, he saw the other Gems expressions. Everyone, from Amethyst to Bismuth, from Garnet to Peridot, and even Lapis to an extent all stared with pity as Jasper broke down on the ground. "This machine was the best chance I had seen, my only chance to prove that she had ever existed in the first place...but Homeworld has already gotten to it..."

Finally, having mustered up the courage, Steven calmly walked up to Jasper, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Jasper...please let me try to heal you. We..."

Steven turned to the other Gems and then turned back. "We believe that she existed. We'll listen to you..."

Steven wrapped his arms around Jasper's arm, grabbing it into a hug. "Please..."

Finally, Jasper stopped crying. And, after a moment, she proceeded to let loose the smallest, most broken laugh that she was capable of. "Of course you remember. You...or at least what you once were...were the one to take her."

Jasper lashed out and tore Steven's shirt off. "That Gem embedded into your stomach is the reason the refuse to acknowledge that she-"

Jasper looked up at Steven, seeing the sincerety in his eyes. "You...I hate you. But..."

One last tear fell from Jasper's eye. And then, as she began to fully corrupt back into a mindless monster, Jasper raised her claws up...and then sunk them into her chest, poofing herself.

As Jasper's Gem was about to hit the ground, it was caught by Amethyst, who proceeded to summarily bubble it. "It's okay...I got ya sis..."

Steven turned to the others, staring up at them all with sad eyes, until his eyes fell on Bismuth. Bismuth sheepishly looked away. Steven sighed and turned to Garnet, who quickly smiled back at him. "I guess we should start rebuilding your house, huh?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah. Heh...maybe Bismuth could help?"

Bismuth smiled at the idea. But, as she turned to Steven to make a quip, her smile quickly fell to a look of pure horror. Behind the unsuspecting Steven, the Shatter Machine sputtered to life one last time, it aimed one of its chisel launchers directly at the small of Steven's back. If it were to fire, it would impale Steven and shatter his Gem.

Bismuth acted with thinking. To the shock of all of the other Gems, she quickly threw herself inbetween Steven and the Shatter Machine. The machine fired its last shot and then fell dead.

Steven turned, and his eyes widened at what he saw. A giant chisel had impaled Bismuth directly through her stomach. With the last of her strength, Bismuth turned to Steven and smiled, placing her hand on the young, half-Gem's head. "Thank you...for telling them the truth..."

And then, with a poof, all that was left of Bismuth was her Gem. Quickly, Steven picked up the remaining Gem and put it in a bubble. "Don't worry...I'll keep you safe..."

Sadly, Steven turned and gently took Jasper's bubble from Amethyst.

Steven closed his eyes and sighed. "I swear...I'll find a way to help you both. Someday...I promise..."

 _A/N: Okay. This was a pretty short story, but it served it's purpose. To be honest, this was less about the narrative and more about me trying to find the voice for a couple of characters that I hadn't written before. And now that I have that, I think I'm finally ready to do a full-fledged, non-crossover, Steven Universe story. So, if you liked this story, and I didn't make you too angry by making this one so short, please come back for my next upcoming tale. Pre-emptively titled: Connie and the B Team!_

 _And, most importantly of all, whether you liked this or not, thank you for reading! I appreciate your time and critiques! :)_


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